


The Beginning

by WatchingGlee



Category: Glee
Genre: Canon Compliant, During Canon, F/F, Pre-Canon, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25540312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatchingGlee/pseuds/WatchingGlee
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Santana's POV**

Most people are nervous for their first day of high school, but I wasn't. I'd been on my middle school's cheerleading squad was planning on joining the high school squad and being popular. I didn't have any friends from middle school, but that was alright. Popular girls get all the friends and all the boys.

I needed to make a great first impression, so I woke up extra early. I went on a run, showered, got dressed, and did my hair and makeup. I grabbed a granola bar, and went outside to wait for the bus. I hated taking the bus, but my parents wouldn't drive me to school, even on the first day.

On the bus, an annoying seventh grader sat beside me. I sort of knew her since my dad worked with her dad, but that didn't make her friends. I told her to leave, but the bus was too full for her to find another seat.

Our bus stopped at the middle school, then the high school. Plenty of people were already outside, talking to their friends, and making their way inside the school. I'd been inside before, but it felt more grown up this time.

My first class of the day was English. I'd never been a top student in school, but I wanted to graduate with my grade, so I wasn't going to slack off. I barely knew anyone in my English class from middle school, so I sat by myself. After English, I had science. Again, I sat by myself. This arrangement seemed to be my destiny in each and every one of my classes. Sure, I maybe wasn't the nicest to kids in middle school, but that didn't necessarily mean I wanted to sit alone all the time.

Once all my classes were over, I made my way to the girls' locker room to change for the cheerleading tryouts. There were probably close to 50 girls waiting in line to try out. The coach, Sue Sylvester, didn't want people watching others' routines, so we had to wait outside the gym after we warmed up. I noted how few boys there were, probably only five or six.

"Most of you won't make it past the tryouts," Sue said. "In fact, most of you probably suck. When I call your name, come in and show me what you've got."

I wished I could see the tryouts, but I was so far back in line, that I couldn't. Sue had lined us up in alphabetical order by last name, and with the last name Lopez, that put me close to the middle of all the tryouts.  
As I started to near the front of the line, I started to get a bit nervous and everyone seemed annoying.

"Move over, jerk!" I shoved another girl over, and she looked at me, angry.

"What did I ever do to you?" she asked.

I shrugged and turned away from her.

A few came out of the gym looking worried, others happy, others crying. I didn't know what went down in there, but obviously, Sue was saying stuff to everyone after their tryouts.

Finally, I was at the front of the line, ready to head into the gym. When I heard my name being called, I walked inside.

I waited for the music to start, then performed my routine. I'd practiced it a lot, knowing how hard this coach was; she had to be since her squad had won Nationals for four years in a row.

"Well, Santana," Sue said, "that wasn't awful. You can head home now. I'll have names posted on the bulletin board tomorrow. If yours is there, come here after school."

I nodded, then left the gym as the next girl went inside.

Since the buses ran after school, I had to walk home after the tryouts. I'd told my mom that before leaving for school in the morning, but they were both working and couldn't come pick me up afterwards. The walk was long, but I knew if I wanted to make the Cheerios, I had to exercise more than I already did.

Back at home, I organized my binder, then started stretching. I needed to get my splits perfect if I wanted to succeed on the Cheerios.

My mom came home a bit later and started making supper. It was just us at supper since my dad had to work late that day. She asked me about my day, then kept eating.

"Do you think you made it onto the squad?" my mom asked.

"I hope so. I think I did alright," I replied.

She smiled, then started cleaning up the supper dishes. I went back up to my room. I wished I had someone to text or talk to, but I didn't, unless you counted family and neighbors. So, I decided to go to bed early instead of sit in my room, lonely.  
\---  
The next morning at school, I rushed over to the bulletin board. I searched the list of only about 15 people and finally found my name. I recognized a few of the names on my list from when roll call had been taken in some of my classes. What I really needed was a friend on the Cheerios who could rule the school with me.

In science class, a skinny, blonde girl approached me.

"You made the Cheerios?" she asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" I replied, looking at her.

"I did, too. My name's Quinn. The thing is, I want to be popular, and in order for that to happen, I need a sidekick. You in?"

Her tell-it-like-it-is attitude surprised me. I didn't necessarily want to be a sidekick, but I said, "Sure. Anyone else you want to enlist?"

"There's another girl who made the Cheerios. Her name's Brittany Pierce and she's been dancing since she was a toddler. If we could get her on board, we'd be unstoppable."

I wondered how she knew almost everyone, so I asked her.

"I needed to scout out the competition," she replied. "I transferred to Lima in eighth grade, but made sure to get to know everyone who could get in my way."

"Is this Brittany girl in any of your classes?" I asked Quinn.

"No, but we'll find her at lunch."  
\---  
The rest of the morning passed quickly, and I found Quinn just outside the cafeteria.

"Finding Brittany comes first," she said. "Food's less important."

We walked together, but I made sure to stay one step behind her. She wanted to lead and although I wanted to as well, I didn't want her to hate me the second day of school.

Quinn pointed to a tall blonde girl in line at the cafeteria. "That's her. Go ask her if she wants to join us," she said; so I did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Brittany's POV**

All summer I'd been either in dance class or at cheer camp. They were practically the only things I was good at, so I couldn't stop practicing. Since I would be starting high school that year, making the school cheerleading squad, the Cheerios, was of utmost importance.

The high school was close enough to our house that I didn't need to take the bus that year like I had every year before then. My little sister still did, so she had to wake up earlier than me.

When I woke up, I danced to warm myself up, then stretched before showering and getting ready for school. Once I was ready, I said goodbye to my parents, then left for school. I was a bit nervous for all of the people I wouldn't know, but not about being in the large school, because I had been there for dance competitions before. 

When I arrived at the school, I noticed how many people were already there. I recognized a few, but didn't talk to them. My best friend from middle school had been bullied so badly, her family had moved away during summer, and all my dance friends went to different schools, mostly because they were richer.

I went into the school. I may not be short, but I sure felt it then. With all the students rushing to get their schedules sorted, find their friends, and sign up for clubs, I was immediately trapped in a sea of people.

I ran into a classroom to escape it all and found that I was in the Spanish class. I was taking Spanish that semester, and I was glad to know where at least one of my classes was. I did already know a little bit of Spanish, so I knew that it would be an easier credit than a lot of my classes.

"May I help you?"

I turned around and saw the Spanish teacher. "Where's the Geography class?" I asked, caught off guard. Geography was my first class of the day, so I guess I was okay at thinking under pressure.

"Just two doors to the left," he said. "Are you taking Spanish this semester?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"I'll be seeing you later today, then. I'm Mr. Schuester."

"Okay," I left the room and made it to the Geography class just before the bell rang. 

Some people from my middle school were in the class, and I sat beside a girl named Emily. We were never friends, but I didn't want to be viewed as a loner my first day of high school.

\---

The morning passed slowly, so did the afternoon. I was anxious for cheerleading tryouts and could barely concentrate in my classes.

There were a lot of girls in the locker room after school. Like me, they all had dreams of popularity and being part of a team. All us girls met in the gym, as well as a small handful of boys, where we warmed up, then were led outside the gym by the coach, so we couldn't watch others' routines.

The coach seemed mean and super competitive. This was only amplified when she said, "Most of you won't make it past the tryouts. In fact, most of you probably suck. When I call your name, come in and show me what you've got."

We were lined up alphabetically by last name, meaning I was closer to the end, with the last name Pierce. As I got closer to the front of the line, I could watch people leaving the gym after trying out, most appearing discouraged with their heads down and the odd few looking completely exhausted.

I watched one girl shove another out of line and yell at her, but otherwise, my wait in line was uneventful.

"Brittany Pierce," Sue called from inside the gym.

I shook off some nerves, then ran into the gym.

I was always a dancer before a cheerleader, so I worked a lot of dance into my routine. Maybe too much, but I made sure to do a back handspring to show that I knew my cheerleading just as well.

"Well Brittany, you seem like the dumb blonde type, but you can somewhat dance," she said.

Based on how horribly mean she usually acts, I took it as a compliment. Still, the "dumb blonde" comment is something that is hard for me to not react to.

"Go home," she continued. "If your name's on the bulletin board tomorrow, come here after school."

I nodded, then left to get changed back into my normal clothes. After I was changed, I walked home.

I arrived back at home after my younger sister. She'd been talking with Mom about her day, but as soon as I stepped in the door, she made a run for it, knowing it was my turn.

"How was your first day of high school?" Mom asked.

"Fine," I replied. "Cheerleading tryouts went okay."

"I'm sure you'll make the squad. Just remember, you have dance lessons tonight, so be ready early."

"Okay."

I headed to my bedroom and sat on my bed. I talked to Lord Tubbington, my cat, and ate a snack. I wondered how this year would play out; maybe I'd make some new best friends.

\---

The next morning, I got to school earlier than the day before to check the bulletin board. I read the names on the list of freshman Cheerios and found mine. Only about 15 girls made it, and no boys. I was glad I made the squad, especially when it meant people actually wanted to sit with me in my classes.

While I was waiting in the cafeteria line to get my lunch, a tan girl with dark hair approached me.

"You're Brittany, right?" she asked, standing beside me.

"How'd you know?" I looked at her. She was trying to be intimidating, but really wasn't fooling me.

"Quinn told me. You're on the Cheerios, and so are we. She wanted you to join our group," she said.

"You mean like be friends?"

"Yeah, popular friends," she replied.

I nodded in agreement, then we got our food and joined a blonde girl named Quinn to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

**Santana's POV**

Brittany seemed really sweet, unlike Quinn, and she was mega-talented. During Cheerios practice, she took the longest to complain about how exhausted she was; even when she was tired, she never stopped giving all her energy.

Sue made practice very hard on us freshmen. She told us we had to earn our uniforms by proving we were good enough to join the real Cheerios. She made us do flips and tricks and run laps until we could barely move, yelling insults at us. Brittany seemed a little hurt, but she kept working hard, not stopping until we were given a water break.

"Great job out there," I said, suddenly surprised at the ease of which kind words flowed out of my mouth.

"Thanks," she replied. "You too."

After practice, I could barely get off the gym floor, my entire body was aching and covered with sweat.

"Get out of the gym!" Sue commanded. "Big babies!" 

I pushed myself off the floor, then made my way to the girls' locker room with Quinn and Brittany. As I was changing, I listened to all the other girls complain about their exhaustion. Quinn, though, had made it known that we were not to complain to the other girls if we wanted them to see us as superior.

I finished packing my backpack after showering and getting changed, then left the locker room and made my way outside the school. Yesterday, walking home, though a longer walk, hadn't seemed like a big deal. Today, though, I was exhausted, so I barely kept up a paced walk all the way home.

At home, I tossed my backpack on the floor in my bedroom and flopped down on my bed. I thought for a few seconds. If I wanted to be as good as was expected on the Cheerios, I couldn't just rest. I needed to stretch and work on my splits. 

I had gotten my middle split for the first time this summer, which was also when I mastered the back handspring. I wanted to be better than good; I just had to impress Ms. Sylvester.

\---

My mom got home just before supper with some takeout that we ate in the kitchen. We rarely ate at the dining room table for anything other than holidays, because it wasn't really worth it for just the two of us.

"Did you make the cheerleading squad?" Mom asked, trying to make conversation.

"I did," I replied, and although she was happy for me, I told her not to make a big deal out of it.

"I'm very proud of you, mija," she said.

I smiled. "Thanks for dinner. I'll be in my room."

\---

I sat on my bed, listening to music for close to an hour before my phone buzzed notifying a text.

_From Quinn: We're watching the football tryouts tomorrow after practice. Wanna come?  
To Quinn: Sure_

Watching the football tryouts may not have interested me, but I knew that I needed a popular boyfriend to help with my climb to the top of the social ladder. I was sure Quinn was already on it; Brittany probably would be too.

\---

The next morning, the bus was late, almost making me miss attendance in my first class of the day.

"Miss Lopez," the teacher said. "Maybe try being early next time."

I ignored him and sat down in my desk, knowing it wouldn't be a good day.

\---

Practice was hard. Not just hard, though; it was totally exhausting, just as it had been the day before, only worse, because I was already sore.

Quinn acted all tough, as though it wasn't tiring to her at all, and Brittany acted as though she was used to it, so she could power through. I felt like a failure.

As decided the day before, after we had changed back into our regular clothes, the three of us girls made our way to the football field. So many boys were trying out, and I knew most of them wouldn't make it. How we were supposed to find the ones that were guaranteed to be on the team?

Quinn pointed to a boy in the number 5 jersey. "Finn Hudson," she said. "He's supposed to be really good... So is that one; his name's Noah Puckerman."

How she knew everyone was beyond me, but I believed her when she said those boys were guaranteed to make the team.

"My eye's on Finn." She looked over at the tall male. And by tall, I mean freakishly tall.

"When will the team be picked?" I asked.

"Tomorrow," Quinn replied. "I'm going to talk to Finn after practice today, though."

I turned to look at Brittany. She seemed to be intently watching the players, but not in a creepy way.

"I think I'm going to head home," I told her and Quinn.

"Me too," Brittany said. "Where do you live?"

"Lima Heights Adjacent," I said. Most people had never heard of it, so I pointed in the general direction of my house.

"I live that way too! Do you want to walk together?"

I agreed, but only because Brittany seemed so excited. We told Quinn we were leaving as she left us anyway to talk to Finn.

"Do you like cats?" Brittany asked. The question came out of the blue.

"I guess," I replied, unsure where she was planning on going with the question.

She said, "I have a cat, if you'd like to meet him. Not today though; I have dance lessons today."

I smiled at her randomness. I don't know why I thought so nicely of her and didn't really have anything mean to say. Normally, people like her would annoy me.

"Maybe after practice tomorrow?" Brittany asked.

"Sure," I replied.

"Well, this is my house. Have a good walk home!" She pointed to a pretty large house across the street from the sidewalk we were on.

I still had a ways to walk, so I picked up a jog and rushed home. Though exhausted, I stretched, did my homework, then tried my best to dance along free-style to some music. I told myself it was because I wanted to be good for the Cheerios, but I may have had other reasons too.

\---

When my mom got home, we ate supper in the kitchen like usual. She asked me about my day, and I told her about Cheerios practice.

"You're going to your abuela's after practice tomorrow," Mom said, leaving no room for discussion.

I thought about it for a second, then remembered. "I was actually going to go to someone's house after school. She's on the squad, too."

"But I told your abuela..."

"I'll just tell her I'm busy," I said. "Brittany's my friend."

My mom knew how hard it had always been for me to make friends, so she agreed.

"I'm glad you're making friends, mija," she said.

I just smiled in return. It was weird how I just knew Brittany and I were friends, and it was weird just how much I actually enjoyed spending time with her, even though I had just met her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Brittany's POV**

Keeping up with Cheerios and dance lessons was hard. My classes in high school weren't super easy either, but I had stopped caring so much about my grades in middle school; it's not like I was going to become a doctor or a teacher.

Coach Sylvester wanted to test us new Cheerios in extreme ways. I was sore for the first few days and with walking home after, I was exercising more than I ever had before. Luckily, Santana walked home with me after practice before continuing to her own home. It was nice to have a friend to talk to.

Today was the last day of school for the first week, and Santana would actually be staying at my house after practice. I was excited, although I hoped she wouldn't judge me the way my old friends did. A lot of them called me stupid for talking to my cat, Lord Tubbington, and for my quick remarks. All of the things I said made sense in my head; why couldn't anyone else understand?

My classes were all boring, and I was ready to get moving by the time Cheerios practice started.

Quinn approached Santana and I while we were changing into our gym clothes.

"Have you girls found popular boys yet?" she asked.

I knew I hadn't, but, in my opinion, we didn't need popular boys to make us popular. Why couldn't we just be popular without boys?

"I'm going to talk to Noah Puckerman today," Santana replied.

"Great. And Brittany?"

"I'll find someone."

Quinn luckily stopped asking questions after that, and the three of us went to the gym to warm up.

\---

I was exhausted after Cheerios practice, but I knew that Santana would be coming over, so I tried my best not to act so tired. We changed and left Quinn behind as we started walking to my house.

"Do you have any siblings?" Santana asked while we were walking.

"I have a little sister," I replied. "She's six."

"I used to want a sister." Santana looked down at the sidewalk.

"Me too... until I got one."

We laughed a little, then finally arrived at my house.

\---

My room walls were covered in blue wallpaper with pink flowers, and there were posters on the wall. I had stuffed animals on my bed. Lord Tubbington was sleeping on my bed as well. I wondered how my room looked to Santana; was it how she imagined it would look?

She seemed quite interested in my room. Maybe it was because it showed who I was more than the few of my belongings that I brought to school did, but I wasn't sure.

"This is Lord Tubbington," I said as I walked over to my bed where my cat was sleeping.

"How long have you had him?" Santana asked. Based on her voice, I could tell she truly was interested in knowing the answer to her question, which meant she actually cared about my interests, just like a real friend should. She was still looking around my room but not touching anything.

"Two years," I replied, sitting down on my bed.

Santana kept standing for a moment before sitting down beside me. I was glad that she already felt comfortable in my bedroom.

"Why did you join Cheerios?"

I looked at Santana when she asked me the question.

"I love dancing, and I've been cheerleading for a few years; I went to cheer camp last summer," I replied. "Plus, I wanted to make some friends."

"How long have you taken dance lessons?" She looked at Lord Tubbington for a second before looking back at me.

"Since I was three. Now it's my turn to ask you a question." I smiled, then asked," Why did you want to join the Cheerios?"

"I did cheerleading in middle school and also went to cheer camp. Plus, I want to be popular."

Santana's answer to my question kind of surprised me. She didn't seem like the type of person who did something just to be popular. I highly doubted that she genuinely enjoyed being bossed around by Coach Sylvester.

"Do you enjoy it then?" I asked.

"It's alright." She got quiet.

I changed the topic to Quinn and why she was so obsessed with us girls all finding a popular football player to date. Santana didn't seem to want to talk about that either, since she still hadn't talked to Noah Puckerman, so I asked her if she wanted to meet my sister.

"Sure," Santana replied, and we went to her bedroom.

\---

**One Week Later...**

It was Friday of the second week of school, and high school was already overwhelming me. I had begun to give up on getting good grades and focused on asking as many questions about the subject as I could instead, trying to add humor to the otherwise stressful classes.

Classes weren't the most stressful part either. Coach Sylvester had been pushing us freshman girls super hard, and dance lessons were practically impossible when I was so sore. Plus, she agreed with Quinn, saying that we should find some popular boys to date.

"Today, I will be promoting a few of you to the real Cheerios. You will get a uniform and your pom poms after practice today and will be promoted to early morning practices," Coach Sylvester announced.

I walked over to Santana and Quinn after stretching while we waited to hear who would be moving up.

"Quinn Fabray, Amanda Hanson, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce, come here!" Coach Sylvester ordered. She was talking in her usual yell and didn't sound excited or even happy at all.

The four of us walked toward her.

"Meet me in my office after practice."

We tried not to act to excited until Coach Sylvester told us to get changed, but once we were in the locker room, we all smiled.

All the freshmen's measurements and weight were taken frequently, so it didn't come as a surprise to us that our uniforms were in our sizes. We collected the uniforms and pom poms, then Coach Sylvester told us, "Regular after-school practice is still reserved for the rest of the freshmen, so you girls will be joining the real Cheerios at their practice on Monday at 7:00 am. Am I clear?"

We nodded with tight smiles before leaving her office to head home.

"Do you want to walk together again?" I asked Santana.

"Sure." She adjusted her backpack straps on her shoulders and we walked in the direction of our houses.

Right before arriving at my house, I looked at Santana. "Do you need a ride on Monday morning?"

"You don't even know where I live," she said.

"Where do you live, then?" I asked.

She gave me her address and I told her my mom and I would be there to pick her up on Monday morning.

"See you on Monday, Santana!" I said before heading inside my house.

"Bye, Brittany!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Santana's POV**

I was a bitch. I'd known and even accepted that about myself since I learned what the word meant. I used my bitchiness to control and scare people, and to show them I wasn't the typical emotional girl. I hadn't necessarily been raised to be a bitch, but my family wasn't exactly a "let's talk about our deepest feelings" type of family either.

Most people have annoying habits, or are just plain annoying, so usually when I met new people, my thoughts would go: "Say something awful," and would give me the perfect mean thing to say. When I first saw Brittany, though, my head told me, "Don't be a bitch to her," and "Don't mess this up." Something stopped me from being mean to her, and although she did things that would usually annoy me, they didn't. Brittany was super sweet and a good friend. She may have been a bit naïve and didn't get the top grades in school, but she was very tuned-in to what other people were thinking.

It was rare that someone saw the side of me that wasn't mean. I didn't use my usual snark when I was talking to Brittany. Sure, my snarky remarks had often proved useful when people I hated would avoid me at all costs, but now that Quinn and Sue were using it to get themselves ahead, I didn't like it so much.

\---

The start of the third week of high school, I found myself in the backseat of a car beside Brittany while her mom brought the two of us to our first real Cheerios practice. Their car radio was playing '90s hits as I tried to stay awake. Brittany seemed used to this type of commitment; I was not.

We arrived at the school with just enough time to change, finding Quinn and the rest of the real Cheerios in the locker room, changing into their red and white uniforms.

"I went out with Finn on Friday," Quinn said as she gathered Brittany and I into a circle. "Are you going to talk to Noah?"

Quinn's question was directed to me. I had promised I would talk to a football player named Noah Puckerman, since both Quinn and Sue wanted us to find someone popular to date. It wasn't that Noah wasn't hot... at least I knew he was supposed to be, but he wasn't really to me. I knew it would be good to get those types of firsts out of the way before I got so old it would be embarrassing, but I wished Quinn wouldn't push so hard for it to happen right away.

"Today. I'll talk to him today," I said in reply to Quinn's question.

"And you Brittany?" she asked.

"I'll find someone," Brittany replied.

I was relieved when it was time to leave the locker room and start warming up.

Sue announced, "We have four new freshmen joining us today! Don't go easy on them! Start with ten laps!"

Brittany and I ran beside each other while Quinn ran a bit ahead. I think she wanted to prove something to the older girls, but they just ignored us anyway.

After practice, all the girls took turns in the showers. I noted that some girls walked around naked not caring, but the younger girls wrapped themselves in towels before putting their uniforms back on for the school day. All the Cheerios wore their uniforms to all their classes; it showed that you meant something and were popular and talented.

After we were ready, all the girls went to their first period classes. Brittany and I didn't have any of the same classes that semester. The next semester we would, but that felt like ages away. Finally, I had made a friend, but I couldn't even have a class with her.

\---

It was kind of weird to not have practice after school. That meant that I could take the bus home. I found Brittany by her locker, which was just down the hall from mine, after last period.

"I know we could take the bus today, but do you still want to walk together?" I asked.

"I don't get bus service." Brittany laughed. "But of course you can walk with me." We started walking through the halls together, still in our uniforms, heads held high. "When will you let me come into your house?"

"Today, if you want," I said. I'd been to Brittany's a few times already, but her house was closer to the school than mine.

"We'll just have to stop by my house so I can tell my mom," Brittany said, taking me up on my offer.

"Okay."

Out on the sidewalks, the sun beat down on us, making me feel grateful for the skimpiness of our Cheerios uniforms.

"Will your parents be home?" she asked.

She still hadn't met my parents, although they did know I'd made a new friend named Brittany. I'd already met Brittany's mom and sister; her dad wasn't home as often as the rest of her family, so I hadn't met him yet.

"No. My mom gets home around supper. My dad's a doctor; he works a lot," I replied.

We got to Brittany's house soon after and her mom was excited that she'd be going to a friend's house, so we continued to my house. Brittany had already seen my house from the outside when she and her mom had come to pick me up that morning, so she knew when we had arrived.

"I thought Lima Heights Adjacent was a bad community," Brittany said.

"Some parts are," I replied, "but our part of the community is actually quite well off. Don't tell anyone, though."

"Why?"

"If people think I'm from a bad community, they won't try to mess with me."

Brittany nodded and watched as I unlocked the front door. She followed me inside.

My house, unlike Brittany's, always felt stiff and controlled. I was used to just how proper and in-place the house was, but Brittany seemed uncomfortable in the almost unwelcoming environment.

"My room's upstairs," I said, and Brittany followed me through the perfectly organized living room and up the stairs.

My bedroom was the opposite of the rest of the house. The bed wasn't made, there were clothes on the floor, and CDs were scattered everywhere. After being in Brittany's bedroom and seeing how colorful and girly it was, I wondered what she thought of my bedroom. It was a lot darker and less feminine than hers.

"You love music?" Brittany asked. Obviously the first things she noticed were the CDs.

"Yeah, and sorry for the mess; I didn't know you'd be coming over," I said.

"I don't mind."

"Britt?" I asked, then immediately paused. I wasn't sure if she was okay with the nickname.

"It's fine; you can call me that," Brittany said. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Why-" I was interrupted by my phone buzzing from my backpack that I had put down on the floor.

"Answer it." Brittany sat down on my bed.

I took my phone out of my backpack. The text was from Quinn. It read, "I gave Noah Puckerman your number."

I didn't text her back before sitting down beside Brittany on my bed. Quinn must have stayed back to watch football practice after school.

"Who was it?" Brittany asked.

"Quinn setting me up with Noah Puckerman," I replied.

"Oh."

My phone buzzed again, and I turned it on. I had received a text from an unknown number, but I knew who it was.

_From Noah Puckerman: It's Puck. Out tonite?  
To Noah Puckerman: OK_

I didn't want to go out with Puck that night, but I knew I would have to eventually.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" I asked Brittany.

"You don't have to. I can walk home on my own," she replied. She didn't ask me to try asking my question again, so I assumed she'd forgotten.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Santana."

Once she was gone, I changed Noah's contact name to Puck right as I received another text from him.

_From Puck: Breadstix @ 6?  
To Puck: Sure_

I started to get ready for my date with Puck. I had never been on a real date before; I'd never even been kissed, but I pushed down my worries as I styled my hair. I decided to keep on my Cheerios uniform. The novelty was still there, and, besides, most guys liked cheerleaders.

I left a note for my mom since she wasn't home from work yet, then left to walk to Breadstix. The walk wasn't too long, and I couldn't drive yet anyway, so there was no other option. I arrived outside the restaurant just in time. I stood up straight, pushed my shoulders back, and walked inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Brittany's POV**

Even after only two full weeks of knowing her, Santana was my new best friend. Once we were placed in the official Cheerios, we became very close. Each morning, my mom and I would get in the car, and she would drive to Santana's house so we could pick her up. My mom would drop us off at school, where we had practice until school started.

We always walked together after school. That first week, I went to Santana's for the first time. I didn't stay long, though, because Santana kept getting texts. I walked home from her house by myself and though about how nice it was to have a good friend so early in the school year.

Mom had some questions once I got back home, but soon after, Dad came home, meaning it was supper time. Mom sent me to get Jessica, my sister, from her bedroom, then we sat down to eat.

After supper, I went to my bedroom where I gave Lord Tubbington his supper. While he ate, I went through the ballet positions. It was something I often did when I was bored.

Jessica came into my room and asked me to play Candy Land with her. I agreed because there was nothing better to do.

We were about half-way done our second game when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered before checking who was calling.

"Hi Brittany; it's Santana." Her voice sounded sad.

"What's up?" I asked. I was surprised that Santana was calling; she'd only ever texted me before.

"I went on a date... with Puck," Santana said.

"How was your date?" It was the only thing I could think to ask.

"We ate at Breadstix," she said, kind of avoiding my question. "Then we went to his house. I slept with him."

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet.

"Hello?" Santana asked.

"Are you okay?" She hadn't sounded very happy, so I needed to make sure.

"I'm fine," she replied, but I could tell she was lying.

"Okay. Do you need a ride again tomorrow morning?"

"If that's not a problem."

We said our goodbyes, then hung up.

\---

The rest of the week consisted of early morning practices, school, dance lessons, and Santana. Since I lived between her house and the school, she came to my house after school everyday that I didn't have dance lessons.

Thursday, though, was different. Santana didn't wait by my locker after school like usual, so, after waiting awhile, I went home alone. I was sad, because I didn't know what I had done wrong.

I texted Santana once I got home.

_To Santana: Where were you?_

I waited for a reply for about 15 minutes, and when I didn't get one, I started dancing around my bedroom. I missed Santana already, and I had seen her that morning. I wondered why she wasn't responding to my text.

My phone buzzed, and I checked it excitedly, hoping it was Santana, but it wasn't.

_From Quinn: Have you found a boy yet?_

I ignored her text and went downstairs to talk to my mom.

\---

After supper, Santana still hadn't replied to my text, so I decided to call her.

She answered, "Hello?"

"It's Brittany," I answered. "Why didn't you wait for me after school?"

"I had an emergency at home."

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"It is now, but do you think I could come to your house for night?" She sounded less confident than I was used to, so I knew something was wrong.

"I'll ask my mom, but I'm sure that would be fine."

"Okay. I'll start walking right away." She hung up.

I went downstairs and asked my parents about Santana staying over for night. They were fine with it, just like I'd known they would be.

Santana came about 20 minutes later, and I greeted her at the front door. She was standing there with her backpack on.

"Are you okay?" I asked, even though I was starting to expect her answer, even if it wasn't the truth.

"I'm fine," she replied, just as I had thought she would.

The two of us went up to my bedroom where Santana took off her backpack. She sat down beside Lord Tubbington on my bed and didn't say anything.

"You can sleep on the bed," I said. "I'll get a sleeping bag for the floor."

"I'll go on the floor, Brittany," Santana replied. "It's you house."

I didn't want to let her sleep on the floor, but she wouldn't take "no" for an answer, so I went and got a sleeping bag for her. She rolled it out and opened her backpack where she had a pair of sweatpants to replace her jeans.

"What happened?" I tried to talk to Santana again about why she hadn't waited for me after school and had asked to come over for night.

"Just something with my parents; it's no big deal," Santana answered.

I took her hints and dropped it.

"Do you want to go to play a game or something?" I asked. "I'm sure my sister would love an extra Candy Land player."

"Sure."

I picked the Candy Land box up from the floor of my room where I'd last played it with Jessica, then Santana and I went to her bedroom.

Jessica's bedroom looked as though someone had just thrown everything pink and girly in the world inside of it. Her walls were white and pink with pink ballet figures painted on the white walls. Her bed was covered in stuffed animals, much like mine, only all her bedding was pink. She had a Barbie house against one wall and her dolls rested on top of her toy chest. She had the Disney princesses in stickers on her white dresser.

Santana seemed overwhelmed with the girly room. After seeing her bedroom, I knew she wasn't a very girly girl and probably never was.

"Do you want to play Candy Land, Jessica?" I asked my sister, who was playing with a Barbie.

"With her?" Jessica pointed at Santana. The girls had met before, but it seemed as though Jessica had forgotten.

"Yes, Jess," I replied. "With Santana."

"Okay."

The three of us sat down on her bedroom floor to play.

\---

Once my sister's bedtime rolled around, Santana and I cleaned up the game and went back to my room.

"If I ever have kids, I do not want a girly girl," Santana stated.

I smiled, picturing her as a mother. She was good with Jessica, but I understood how overwhelming she could be. My parents could barely handle going into her bedroom at times.

"Her room is a lot to take in, isn't it?" I asked, grinning.

"No kidding."

I paused for a moment, then said, "Didn't you want to go on a date with Puck?"

"Puck's not really a date type of guy," she replied. "Besides, you're better. What about you? Have you found a boy yet?"

"No. I don't know how much I really want to."

"Is it the sex part? I can understand why you would want to wait," Santana said.

"It's not that. I've had sex before anyway." I tried to say those words as if they didn't bother me, but they did. I'd never actually told anyone, unless it was as a joke to some girls at school. "I was raped at cheer camp."

Santana walked over and hugged me, although it seemed unnatural and out-of-character for her to do.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Nope. I just say it was an 'alien invasion,' then no one thinks I'm telling the truth. So, please don't tell anyone."

Santana swore not to tell anyone, but I could tell she wanted to help me.

"We should go to bed," I said. "Cheerios practice is early enough without staying up late."

Santana agreed, and we went to bed. It felt nice to finally tell someone the truth, and I felt very lucky to have Santana as a friend. She didn't know just how much she meant to me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Santana's POV**

Spending the night at Brittany's was surprisingly refreshing. My parents had been arguing non-stop at home since my dad had the day off and wasn't very happy about it. He's always very stressed when he has time off.

I had rushed home after school that Thursday since I had received a text from my mom about coming home early, but it had been a mistake to listen to her. So, I packed my backpack with some extra clothes, and I asked Brittany if I could go to her place for night.

I actually had fun playing Candy Land with Brittany's little sister. She was young, so it almost made sense that her room looked as though Pinky Pie threw up in it. Still, at her age, the most pink I had had in my room were the dresses my abuela gave me. I'd never been really into girly stuff.

Brittany and I got ready for bed early because of Cheerios practice the next morning before school. We'd almost survived our first week as real Cheerios, and I was exhausted. I tried to get comfortable on the floor of Brittany's room. I could tell that she wasn't sleeping yet either because of her breathing, but I didn't want to say anything to possibly disturb her normal schedule.

"Santana!" Brittany whispered. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," I replied quietly.

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you want to talk?"

I looked up at her bed to see her looking at me. "Sure."

"Come up here."

I got up from the floor and walked over to Brittany's bed where she scooted over to one side to make room for me. At least we didn't have to share with Lord Tubbington too; he was sleeping in a cat bed across her bedroom.

I sat awkwardly in Brittany's bed, but she told me that I could lie down under her blankets if I wanted, so I did.

"Why are you so mean to the other girls?" Brittany asked. "You're nice to me."

"I'm usually mean to people," I replied, "but you're my friend, so I'm nice to you."

"You are mean to Quinn sometimes, though," Brittany pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess. She's too much like me, so we argue over everything. Besides, she isn't my best friend." I could barely believe the words coming out of my mouth. They sounded way too nice and actually smart, but as I thought about it, I didn't care that Brittany had seen this part of me that I barely even knew existed.

"Your turn," Brittany whispered.

"For what?"

"To ask a question."

I thought for a moment. "Um... why haven't you told anyone about... being raped?" The question seemed too serious, but knowing that about Brittany made me really sad, and I wanted to help her.

"Because no one would believe me," Brittany replied. "He got caught doing it to someone else, so he got in trouble for it anyway." She stopped for a bit to come up with another question. "What's your favorite color?"

"Red," I said, "or black. What about yours?"

"I don't have a favorite, but I do really love pink and blue."

Neither of us talked for a while. We just lay in silence. The best part was that we didn't feel awkward. It felt incredible to have such a good friend.

"You can stay in my bed for night if you want," Brittany said. "There's easy enough room for both of us. Be warned, though, I sometimes kick in my sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

I shimmied further down under Brittany's blankets, then turned to face her.

"Good night," I said.

"Good night, Santana." Brittany leaned over and gently pressed her lips against my forehead. The act may have been friendly for her, but it seemed strange to me. Why would a girl kiss her friend? The question kept me awake at night. Maybe it was because I liked it.

\---

The next morning, we were awake bright and early. Well, Brittany was awake and dancing around her bedroom to '90s pop, which woke me up.

She was already dressed in her Cheerios uniform with her hair up in a high ponytail as instructed by Coach Sylvester. She was completely ready for school, and I wasn't even out of Brittany's bed yet.

I groaned and climbed out of her bed.

"We're leaving in fifteen minutes!" Brittany said as she kept dancing. How anyone could have that much energy so early in the morning was beyond me.

I quickly got dressed in my uniform, put up my hair, and did my makeup.

"My mom said she'd pack us snacks so we can eat after practice instead of before. It helps with cramps," Brittany explained. "Are you ready?"

I grabbed my backpack off Brittany's bedroom floor and nodded, still exhausted.

Then, we were on our way to school.

The school day passed slowly, but the energy was more excited than usual since it was a Friday. Everyone knew that if they got through the day, they would be rewarded with the weekend.

Puck was in my gym class, and he asked if I would like to go out again that day. Luckily, one of the Cheerios interrupted, saying that they were planning a Cheerios sleepover for that night. Most of the girls going had already been on the team last year, so I politely declined. Still, I was not going to go on a date with Puck every weekend, so I didn't talk to him again that day.

At lunch, Quinn mentioned the Cheerios sleepover. Both Brittany and Quinn didn't want to go either, so we decided to have a sleepover with just us three girls. I didn't know Quinn very well yet, but it was better than being at home.

\---

I went home with Brittany after school. We played Candy Land with her little sister, and we fed Lord Tubbington. I swore that cat hated me, but Brittany said he didn't.

I called my mom to let her know about our weekend plans, and she reluctantly agreed to everything as long as I got back home Saturday evening.

At 6 o'clock, Brittany's mom drove the two of us to Quinn's house. I hadn't been there before, but it looked really nice. I knew her parents were rich, so it didn't come as much of a surprise. We walked up to her house together.

"Welcome!" Quinn's mother seemed quite excited for her daughter to have friends over for a sleepover.

She led us up to Quinn's bedroom where she was setting up two extra beds on the floor, even though she had a queen bed that could easily be shared.

We ate supper in Quinn's bedroom, then went to watch a movie in her basement. The evening wasn't bad, it just wasn't the same with three girls; someone was always left out, it seemed.

"Do you want to play Truth or Dare?" Quinn asked once we were back in her bedroom and in our pajamas.

Brittany agreed excitedly, and I nodded, although every time I played the game it seemed to end in disaster.

"Truth or Dare, Santana?" Quinn questioned, looking at me.

"Truth," I replied.

"Have you slept with Puckerman yet?" she asked.

I nodded in response. "Brittany," I said, "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you..." I couldn't think of a good dare.

"You dare me to do the splits?" Brittany stated a dare for me.

"Sure."

She smiled and easily slid into the splits. "Quinn, Truth or Dare?"

The game continued until all three of us were exhausted, and we decided to go to sleep. Brittany and I scooted our beds on the floor closer once Quinn had fallen asleep, so that we could keep talking.

"Good night, Britt," I said.

"Good night, Santana." Then she did the same thing she had done the night before and kissed my forehead before turning over to go to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Brittany's POV**

I really enjoyed having the sleepover with Quinn and Santana. Although Santana and Quinn didn't always like each other, it felt good to become a group of closer friends. I was already pretty close with Santana, so it felt like Quinn was a little left out sometimes, but I tried to include her in everything.

The weekend passed slowly. I had dance lessons on Saturday after Santana went back home, but I found that I was almost too sore to enjoy it. On Sunday, I took a rest day from working out and texted with Santana during breaks in "family time."

Monday morning, I was ready earlier than normal. My mom and I went to Santana's house to pick her up, just like we had done every day the week before. She looked a bit upset when she got into the back of the vehicle beside me, but I didn't ask her about it because my mom was right there. I didn't get to ask her at school either, because Quinn crowded us the second we got in the door.

"Triple date tonight," Quinn said, leaving no room for our opinions.

"With who?" I asked. I wondered who Quinn was planning on setting me up with.

"Finn and I, Santana and Puck, and Brittany, you're going with Matt."

I knew who Matt was, since he was on the football team and had gone to middle school with me. That didn't mean I wanted to go on a date with him.

We made our way to the football field where morning practices usually were and started with the daily warm-up: running. During the warm up, no one was supposed to be talking, but we ran beside each other for a while until Coach Sylvester yelled at us to separate and run by ourselves.

Cheerios practice was hard as usual, but after a day of rest during the weekend, I was feeling less sore than I had the week before. I knew I'd get used to the practices, but it was taking longer than I had originally thought it would.

I didn't pay much attention in my morning classes, or any of my classes for that matter. I was going to Santana's after school and I was excited. 

We met up in our usual spot and started walking to her house.

"I thought I'd be used to Cheerios practice by now," Santana said casually.

"Me too," I replied.

"I'm starting to think I'm not so fit, plus with Sue's weigh-ins starting soon, I need to lose some weight."

I'd been stuck in the weight loss trap when I started dance. I wouldn't mind being stuck in it again; I had gained weight since I'd started high school. 

"We could practice more together," I said, trying to think of other ways we could lose more weight. "And we could follow Quinn's path and stop eating lunch."

Santana sighed as we approached her house and she unlocked the door. 

"What would you like to do?" she asked as she closed and locked the front door again behind us.

"Practice?" I asked.

Santana nodded.

\---

The leaves started to change color around mid-October as the air cooled that year. Us three girls were a lot busier as the school year progressed with homework, Cheerios practice, and cheering at sports games many evenings. My parents told me I could only have dance lessons once a week instead of twice so that I wouldn't feel so busy.

I was falling behind in most of my classes already. Quinn tried to help by tutoring me, but it ended in too much arguing, so she gave up. Santana could help with some classes until I stopped caring, then she gave up on me too.

"Triple-date again tonight?" Quinn asked during lunch. We'd gone on a few triple-dates in the past month. They weren't awful, but they were awkward.

Santana agreed. She was still "dating" Puck, even though I didn't think it was good for her. "What about you, Brittany?"

"Sure."

Matt was an okay guy. He hadn't pressured me into anything and he always paid on dates, but I didn't really like him in a romantic way. Still, it was easier to keep hanging out with him than try to find a new popular guy to keep our group's status up. We were the most popular girls in our grade.

After school, Santana and I went with Quinn back to her house. We had planned to meet the boys at Breadstix at 6 pm, and we always got ready together, putting on fashion shows, as cheesy as it was.

"What do you think?" Quinn asked as she came out of her bathroom. 

Quinn looked perfect as usual; she wouldn't dare let someone see her with even a hair out of place. She always looked classy, so Santana and I just said her first outfit was good every time because it always was.

"Your turn, Santana," Quinn said, sitting down on her bed beside me.

Santana had a different style than Quinn and basically all the girls in our grade. She still was somewhat girly, but not with her color scheme.

She came out of Quinn's bathroom in a black skirt, tall boots, and a tight, printed shirt. 

"I think you could be more girly," Quinn said, eyeing Santana.

"Why?" Santana challenged. 

"I think you look great; don't change," I said. "Now it's my turn."

Once all three of us were ready, Quinn's mom drove us to Breadstix. We all sat across from our dates, meaning us girls all sat beside each other. Quinn was on the end, and Santana was against the wall. We'd all figured out that I was the best person to prevent an awful fight between Quinn and Santana.

The boys showed up a few minutes late.

Quinn, of course, had to stand up and kiss Finn for a few minutes longer than necessary before sitting back down. Santana and my's relationships weren't like that, so we stayed seated.

After eating, Santana said she'd be going home with Puck. I knew what that meant and I wasn't too happy about it, but it was her life, so I kept quiet.

"Wanna come back with me?" Matt asked.

Immediately, I felt butterflies rush into my stomach. "Okay," I said. "bye, Quinn."


	9. Chapter 9

**Santana's POV**

When I had started high school, I could only have hoped for it to turn out the way it did. By October, I was already in the most popular group in my grade, I was on the Cheerios, I had a real best friend, and I was sleeping with someone who kept my popularity up. Sure, the sleeping with Puck may not have been ideal, but it made me popular, so I lived with it. Who cared about my true feelings anyway?

I wasn't very happy that Brittany followed in my footsteps, though. Matt was nice, but I felt very protective over Brittany. Especially since she told me that she was raped in summer. I didn't want Matt to hurt her.

The biggest talk around the school was already the Cheerios' big Halloween party. It happened yearly, and since it would be our first year attending, Brittany and I were already planning out our costumes. Quinn was a goody-two-shoes compared to Britt and I, so, even though she would be going, she pledged not to participate in any of the activities that we knew would happen at the party. Namely, drinking and sex.

* * *

I had gone over to Brittany's after school so we could help each other get ready for the party. We'd heard of what most girls wore to the parties previous years and tried our best to base our costumes off of what was popular, not fun or creative. We wore our Cheerios outfits, then built our costumes from that baseline. It was important that we would fit in; it was hard enough being a freshman in the group.

Brittany's mom drove us to Quinn's house once we were ready, where we interrupted Quinn getting thoroughly warned by her parents. Then, all three of us walked to the house where the party was. Quinn lived the closest, since the girl throwing the party was super rich and so was Quinn; the rich community was nowhere near where Britt nor I lived.

"Remember," Quinn said, "we can't act immature because we are the freshmen."

"And," I added, "we have to drink because they all will be."

We'd all already known these things, but said them to ease our minds as the party could be heard nearly a block away and I knew that I, at least, was nervous.

No one noticed when the three of us stepped into the house where the party was except for the lead cheerleader, making sure that only the popular kids were welcomed. From what I could see, the house was almost full.

"Everyone's here!" she shouted, closing and locking the front door once we were inside.

We immediately went into the living room. I knew most of the people at the party, but not by name.

"Do you want a drink?" 

I turned around and saw Puck behind me holding out his second drink for me. I took the red plastic cup from him. I had never had alcohol before, unless you counted a taste of my mom's wine when I was thirteen. After short hesitation, I swallowed some of the drink.

I turned back around and saw that Finn and Matt had joined our group. Both Brittany and Quinn had alcohol in their hands as well. It had, after all, been part of our plan.

I watched as Brittany and Quinn drank and talked with their boyfriends. There was nothing for Puck and I to talk about; all he cared about was getting our cups refilled. And once they were full, he emptied his cup without taking a breath.

"Want to find a room upstairs?" Puck asked.

I looked at the girls, but they seemed to have forgotten about anything but their boyfriends and alcohol. "Sure," I replied, following him through the crowd.

* * *

"Are you ready to leave?"

I had already put my clothes back on and was back downstairs drinking when Quinn approached me.

"Sure... Where's Britt?" My head felt heavy, probably from the drinking.

"How much did you drink, Santana?"

"I dunno..."

"Okay, well I don't think you should be walking home alone."

"Where's Britt?" I asked again.

"She's just behind me," Quinn said. "She's probably more drunk than you."

I groaned, then Quinn helped Brittany and I exit the house that had become emptier as the night passed.

"You can't stay at my house," Quinn stated. "My parents would flip. That's why I only had a few sips."

Alcohol seemed to make Brittany super happy and energized. I wished it had that affect on me, because all I felt I could do was yell at someone and cry.

"My aunt lives here," Brittany said, pointing at a house across the street.

"Wait, really?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah."

"You two can stay there tonight." Quinn walked us across the street and rang the doorbell. When no one answered, she tried opening the door; it was locked. "Is there a spare key?" she asked.

"Under the door mat," Brittany slurred. Her voice was better than many I'd heard at the party, but anyone could tell she was drunk.

Quinn found the key and opened the door. "Please be quiet in case she's home," she said. "I'll see you at school on Monday."

Brittany led me up the stairs to the guest room, giggling. Once she was in the room, she took all of her clothes but her bra and underwear off, then lay down in the bed. I wasn't sure what to do, but Brittany didn't seem to care, so I kept on my uniform before lying down beside her in the bed.

 _She's so pretty_ , I thought. Then I started crying.

* * *

The next morning, Brittany was still asleep when I woke up. I felt sick, definitely hungover, so I drank a cup of water, then left a note for Brittany before heading back home. I was prepared for my mom to yell at me when I got home.

"Where were you?" my mom asked when I stepped inside, the door closing too loudly for my headache.

"Cheerios party," I replied. "Can I please go sleep?"

"Really Santana? You're fourteen; you shouldn't be drinking. Go to bed, and you can't go anywhere for the rest of the weekend."

I sighed and barely made it to my bed before falling back asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Brittany's POV**

When I woke up the morning after the Cheerios' Halloween party, it took me a while to remember that I was at my aunt's house. I had known she was on vacation; otherwise, I wouldn't have even mentioned it. She would not have approved of me drinking alcohol at fourteen years old.

I noticed that Santana wasn't there anymore and saw that she had left me a note saying that she had gone back home and would see me on Monday, since she was sure her mom would ground her after the previous night.

I got out of the bed and made it neatly. I didn't feel too hungover. I had only consumed a small amount of alcohol, since I had known that I had dance lessons that day and I did not want to feel awful while exercising. Realizing that I wasn't wearing my clothes, I found them thrown around the room and put them back on. I wondered how much Santana had seen, but decided I didn't care, since I could blame all my behavior on the alcohol.

Leaving the house, I made sure the door was locked and the spare key back where it belonged before I walked back home.

"Brittany," my mom said when I stepped into the house, "why didn't you come home last night?"

I considered telling her the truth but didn't want to make Santana sound bad just because she got drunk. "We stayed at Quinn's," I replied.

"Okay. Just please call me next time."

"I will." Then I walked to my bedroom and fed Lord Tubbington. I felt awful for leaving him alone so long, but he didn't seem to care, so I continued working on the latest friendship bracelet I was making.

I ate lunch with my mom and sister before dance class. Mom drove us, since Jessica took dance too. I took jazz and contemporary, though, while Jessica took ballet.

After dance class, I texted Santana to ask her how her day had been so far.

_From Santana: I should've drunk less and my mom grounded me  
To Santana: I hope you're better soon! See you Monday!_

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed slowly, and I was looking forward to Monday when I could see Santana again. So, first thing Monday morning, I put on my Cheerios uniform and rushed to the kitchen.

"Are we picking up Santana this morning?" Mom asked as she handed me my breakfast packed for after practice.

"Yup!"

"Then let's get going."

We got to Santana's house at the same time as usual, but she wasn't waiting for us outside.

"I'll go get her," I told my mom. Then I got out of the car and walked up to her front door and rang the doorbell.

I waited for close to five minutes before the door opened.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't ready, Britt," Santana said. "I slept in."

"It's okay," I replied, then we went to the car and my mom drove us to school for Cheerios practice.

* * *

We were greeted at practice with three more freshmen who had made the real Cheerios on Friday after school. It was clear they were excited, but the seniors knocked them down a few pegs during our warm-up.

Santana and I ran together, just like we usually did until Sue told everyone to separate, but Santana didn't talk much.

"Are you okay?" I asked Santana.

"I'm fine," she replied, lying as usual. I could always tell when she lied; she looked down and to the side and she tried to force too much confidence into her words. I knew she wasn't okay, but I didn't say anything.

* * *

During my last class of the day, I was called down to the office. I wondered what I could be in trouble for, but as it turned out, I wasn't in trouble. Instead, my mom was in the office.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Is it Lord Tubbington?" Of course I knew it didn't have anything to do with Lord Tubbington because my mom wouldn't have come to school for that. I just wanted to add some humor to a situation that was scaring me.

"No, Brittany," my mom sighed. "Your sister broke her arm. She's at the hospital now."

"Wait, what? How?"

"She fell off the play structure at school and landed on her arm. She also hit her head and may have a concussion. Your dad's with her. Why don't you come with me?"

"Okay." Without even picking up my homework and Cheerios uniform from my locker, I followed my mom to her car and she drove us to the hospital.

My sister was sobbing when we arrived. It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain; her face was scrunched up and she was shaking. Seeing her so hurt when I couldn't help her filled me with so much emotion that I had to leave the room.

In the waiting room, I decided to call Santana.

"Brittany! Where are you? You weren't in our usual place; I assumed you'd left." Santana sounded a little annoyed but mostly concerned.

"I'm at the hospital," I said in a quiet voice.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but Jessica broke her arm and probably has a concussion."

"I'm so sorry, Britt. I can't come visit, but I'll do what I can to help."

"Brittany?" 

I looked up and saw my dad in the waiting room.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked.

"Santana," I replied before saying goodbye to her and hanging up.

"You sister can come home now; we just have to be careful with her," he said.

* * *

Back at home, Jessica was told to rest in her room while the rest of us ate supper. 

"Can I go to Santana's tonight?" I asked while we were eating. I wasn't even sure if Santana would be allowed to have me over, but I really wanted to talk with someone, namely Santana.

"If it's alright with her parents," Mom said.

So, I called Santana and asked her if I could go to her house for a sleepover. I told her that my mom would come pick both of us up in the morning to bring us to Cheerios practice and that my house just felt too suffocating at the moment, so she agreed.

"My parents are gone for the night anyway," she reasoned. "They probably won't mind."

I told my parents that I could walk to Santana's house on my own, packed a bag with a few items, then left. I ran to her house because exercise always helped me cope with my feelings; that was why I loved to dance so much.

I was panting from both the running and crying when I got to Santana's house. She let me inside immediately, hugged me to show she cared, and gave me a cup of water to help calm my breathing.

"Will your sister be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to stay home with her like that."

"That's fine by me. Being home alone is boring anyways," she said. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Do you have any Disney movies?"

Santana smiled. I couldn't understand why people said Disney movies were for kids, and I loved almost all of them. She showed me her family's movie stash. I looked through the movies until I found "Tangled."

"Can we watch this one?" I asked, holding it up for Santana to see.

She nodded and got the movie ready.

After the movie, we got ready for bed. It was early, but we were tired, since it was a Monday and Cheerios practice was early the next morning.

"Britt?" Santana asked from the bathroom where she was changing.

"What?"

"Do you want me to set up a bed for you on the floor?"

"No. I'm sure there's room for both of us on your bed," I said. "Unless you want me to be on the floor."

"I don't mind," Santana replied coming out of the bathroom.

I was very lucky to have a friend like Santana. I knew she cared about me and was someone who would stick by my side, even when everyone else thought I was dumb. Sure, we had become friend's because of popularity, but that's not why we'd gotten so close. I hoped we'd be best friends forever.

"Do you want to go to bed already?" Santana asked.

"Sure," I replied.

I looked at Santana. She looked more mature than I did and she was beautiful, like always. She turned to look at me, and I walked a step closer to her. Without thinking, I leaned over slightly and kissed her on the lips. It was a short kiss, but it felt perfect to me.

Santana pulled away. "Maybe you should sleep on the floor."


End file.
